Laws of Veilenor
Laws of Veilenor The laws of Veilenor are a set of rules that were established after the rebuilding of the world after the invasion, these laws and the penalties for breaking them have changed over time, and some laws differ between the five continents of Veilenor. The Sovereign is traditionally the ultimate adjudicator of the law, however in some towns and cities, the leading houses are given a writ that allows them to act as though they were the authority of the crown when judging and sentencing those accused of breaking the laws, however crimes against the crown are always brought before the Sovereign. Crimes against the crown * Banditry: Waylaying of a citizen or foreigner and relieving them of money or property. * Unlawfully baring arms: Enforced in cities, Seated townships, and on Church/Guild grounds. Usually only military or state nobility have the right to freely bear arms. Arms are classified as a weapon with the express purpose of killing. Citizens may generally purchase this right for a fee, and are required to carry a Writ. * Bribery: The paying of a crown or state official to act inconsistent of their position, church, guild, and mercantile officials are not counted under this law and are expected to police themselves. * Civil Disobedience: Causing trouble in a public place, generally lightly punished. * Destruction of crown property: Punishment varies with damage done and whether or not said damage was deemed to be deliberate, negligent, or accidental. * Embezzlement of crown funds: expropriation of funds placed in ones trust by the crown * Fraud on the crown: Punishments vary wildly on the nature of the offence and rank of the victim * Grave robbing: Robbing of a noble grave is punishable by death. Robbing of any other grave is worthy of prison and fines, but associates of the victim are allowed to bring the robber in dead or alive if they find them before the Crown. * Impersonation of a Crown Official: Generally an extraordinarily serious offence. This includes soldiers and Seat guards. * Possession of Illegal/Stolen Goods: Self explanatory. Confiscation of goods and a fine equal to their worth when stolen, plus jail time depending on property in question and victim. * Piracy: Banditry at Sea, but with far harsher punishments due to mercantile influence. * Public Drunkenness/Disorderly Conduct: Lightly punished in all but the most heinous cases. * Rioting/Incitement to Riot: Like civil disobedience but more harshly punished depending on the area of the riot, disruption caused, and property damaged. Ringleaders always punished harder. * Sedition: Stirring up discontent against the state, but lacking as overt act. Also incitement of others to commit violent acts. * Slavery: Owning, trafficking in, transporting, or hiding slaves. * Treason/Revolt: As sedition, but with an overt act of violence (or attempted as such). This includes incitement of others to commit such acts. Plus all others listed below Crimes against merchants, nobles and guilds * Blackmail: Blackmailing royalty, nobility, powerful guildsmen, or registered merchantmen is a serious offence. * Default/Bankruptcy: An inability to repay rent or any other agreed upon sum/transaction. The default does not have to be monetary. This can include a failure to maintain adequate securities or cash reserves for guilds/banks. * Extortion: Obtaining goods, services, or money through threat of or actual violence. * Forgery: An attempt to mint one's own currency or create counterfeit bank or mercantile notes. Also the attempt to reproduce any official document of the crown, state, or a guild. * Impersonation of an Official: Any impersonation of a guild, noble, or mercantile official for the purpose of fraudulent gain or slanderous activities Plus all others listed below Crimes against citizens * Arson: Setting fire to any Crown Property, any property owned by citizens/licences foreigners/businesses/church, or any property inside of a city. * Burglary: Pilfering of goods from an unoccupied residence or store. * Theft:The pilfering of unattended goods. * Trespassing/Poaching:Setting foot on another's land without permission. Usually punished fully only when damage is done accidentally or when poaching has occurred. * Perjury: Lying under oath in an Imperial court is a serious offence, given that non-eyewitnesses have the right to remain silent (Eyewitnesses to the crime can be compelled to testify). The punishment is generally the maximum punishment for the crime being tried, plus hard labour if none was assigned. * Vandalism/Criminal Mischief: malicious and deliberate defacement of another's property. * Assault: Putting any individual in imminent fear of personal bodily harm. * Battery: Striking another in a harmful or offensive manner, outside of a sanctioned fight or duel. Generally only enforced for severe beatings, or if the victim is important. Also rarely enforced if both parties are equally injured, or nearly so. * Kidnapping: Punishment varies widely based on the victim and the perpetrator, as well as the length of detention and condition of the detained. * Manslaughter: Accidental killing. Punishment depends of victim and whether killing was deemed negligent or accidental. * Murder: Deliberate and wrongful killing. * Rape: Punished similarly to kidnapping, and the defendant is always subjected to truth spells if available. If the perpetrator knew what they were doing was against the will of the victim, castration is automatic. Lighter punishments for unknowing perpetrators. There are very few cases of false reporting, because the victim is always put under truth spell as well. * Robbery: Forcibly Stealing from someone, or stealing form their residence or place of business while they're present.